Indicating control means for radio receiving apparatus and the like



Dec. 12, 1933. F. 1.. CREAGER 1,933,622

INDICATING' CONTROL MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVING APPARATUS AND THE LIKEFiled Aug. 28, 1931 I NVENTOR. Freder'lcK L... Cr'e ager;

J %AAAM Q HIS A TTORXEY.

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 INDICATING CONTROL MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVINGAPPARATUS AND THE LIKE Frederick L. Creager, Merchantsville, N. J.,assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of DelawareApplication August 28, 1931. Serial No. 559,906

13 Claims. (01. 116 124.1)

- The present invention relates to indicating control means for radioreceiving apparatus and the like. More particularly, it relates toindicating control means of the above character having a fixedtranslucent dial of the full vision type and a movable indicatorassociated therewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved indicatingcontrol means having a full vision translucent dial and illuminated in-'dicating means of simple construction, which prevents glare in theillumination of the dial, but which is readily adapted to provide adesired range of illumination of the dial in addition to its indicatingfunction.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scopewill be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in perspective and partly in section,on a reduced scale, of indicatin'g control means embodying theinvention, as applied to the tuning control means of a radio apparatus;Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of theindicating control means shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view,in perspective, of a modification of the indicating means of Figs. 1 and2, on the same scale as Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view in perspective andon the same scale as Fig. 2, showing a further modification of a portionof the indicating means of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 5 is a portion of the housing or front panelof a radio apparatus having a tuning control shaft 6 which is operatedfrom the front of the panel by a suitable operating knob '7. v

In the present example the knob is mounted upon a shaft or roller 8carried by one end of a lever arm 9 and is connected thereby with thetuning control shaft 6; The shaft 8 is held in frictional contact with afixed track 10 by a spring pressed roller 11, whereby the lever iscaused to move in one direction or the other to actuate the controlshaft 6 as the knob 7 is rotated. This control arrangement representsany suitable operating means for the control shaft 6 through the mediumof a-panel knob.

Associated with the knob 7 is a curved, translucent dial member 12 whichforms a closure means for a window 13 in the panel front. In the presentexample the window is provided in a suitable escutcheon plate 14 forholding the curved dial member in conjunction with the panel 5, which isfiat. The shaft 8 projects through a slot 15 in the escutcheon plate 14,

directly below the window 13, whereby the free end of the lever and thecontrol knob 7 may move along the dial member.

A small electric lamp 16 is arrangedt'o be closely associated with thedial member 12 at the rear thereof and to move in response to movementof the control shaft 6. In the present example and as a preferredarrangement, the lamp is arranged to be mounted directly upon the freeend of the lever 9, as indicated, whereby it is directly connectedwiththe operating means for the control shaft 6, and moves with the controlknob '7.

The lamp is mounted upon an offset portion or platform surface 17provided on the free end of the lever 9 at the rear ofand adjacent tothe dial. The lamp is enclosed in a shield or hood 18 having a flatsurface 19 arranged in parallel relation to the rear surface of the dialmember 12 and spaced from it only sufficiently to permit free operatingmovement of the hood along the dial member in response to movement ofthe tuning control means.

The V shaped opening or aperture 20 is provided in the surface 19whereby a beam of light from the lamp 16 may be projected through theopening onto the dial member. to provide an'illuminated image of theopening as an indieating means substantially as shown in Fig. 1. It willbe noted, in Fig. 2, that the distance between the surface 19 and thedial member 12 is very short, so that the rays of light from the opening20 are not permitted to diffuse andto illuminate the scale with anundesirable glare, while at the same time a clearly defined, sharp imageis obtained. The lamp is otherwise in all directions entirely shroudedor covered by the hood 18, whereby it is prevented from projecting anilluminating glare upon the dial member. For this reason the hood ispreferably of sheet metal or other opaque material whereby the direct,unshielded rays from the lamp are confined and projected directly onlythrough the aperture 20. g

The hood is removable for replacing the lamp and for other purposeshereinafter to be described, and to this end is attachably,mounted in ashallow, rectangular, sheet metal base member 21 which is secured to thesurface 1'7 of the operating. arm in a position to receive and hold thehood 18, as indicated; close to the dial member. The hood is ofrelatively small dimensions having an interior of only sufficient sizeto en lo e t e lamp and its upportin me whereby it is adapted to movealong the dial member in close relation thereto.

The lamp socket is so located that it holds the lamp in the positionshown in Fig. 2 with its filament substantially in alignment with theaperture 20 for a maximum illumination of the image on the dial member.

The lamp is provided with a socket'22 which is supported by a bracket 23secured to the interior of the base member 21. The bracket 23 isinsulated from the socket terminals 24 by I suitable spacing washers25.' A strip of insulating material 26 is also interposed between thelower terminal 24 and the bottom of the base member 21.

Suitable supply leads 2'7 for the lamp are connected with the terminals24 and are carried through the rear wall of the hood through an opening28' provided by cooperating'notches in the hood and its base. The leadsare then carried along the lever 9 in retaining loops 29 and areconnected with a potential source (not shown) in the apparatus.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that an indication ofthe position of the tuning element or control shaft 6 is provided by anilluminated indicator without the usual glare or unnecessaryillumination of the dial member. The indicating lamp is placed in closerelation to the dial member, at a point for efficient illumination ofthe indicating area, and is arranged to move along the dial member withthe indicating opening in close spaced relation to the dial. i

The lamp is completely enclosed by the hood while, at the same time, itis easily accessible by removing the hood from its base member. Theindicating means is small and compact, and occupies very little space atthe rear of the dial member while, at the same time, it is protectedsince it is at the rear of the dial, and within the housing of theapparatus.

In certain types of apparatus, it may be desirable to provide aplurality of scales, as indicated in Fig. 3 at 30 and 31, on the dialmember 12 and means for utilizing either of the scales, selectively,corresponding to differing conditions of operation of the apparatus,such as short wave and long wave operation for example.

The selective indication in connection with either of the two scalesshown, may be provided as indicated, by an additional aperture oropening 32 in a face of the hood 18 opposite to that face in which theaperture or opening 20 is provided.

In the case of V shaped notches as indicating apertures the direction ofthe indicating point of the V is reversed in the case of the opening 32so that it will provide an indicating image associated with the upperscale 30 of the dial member 12, while the opening 20 provides the sametype of indication in connection with the lower scale 31 as in Figs. 1and 2.

It will be seen that, by releasing the hood from its base, rotating it180 degrees and replacing it in its base, the dial indication may bechanged from-one scale to the other as may be desired in the operationof the apparatus.

tures 20 and 32 are located in opposite faces of the hood whereby whenone of them is in use,

the other is in a position wherein it does not project light in anydirection upon the dial member. It is obvious that hoods of a similarchar-- acter and with a plurality of faces may be pro-' vided to carryout this arrangement with more than two indicating apertures withoutprojecting light upon the dial member while the one of them is in use.

The several apertures should be arranged to align as nearly as possiblewith the filament of the lamp for sharp definition of the indicatingimage.

It is also within the scope of my invention to provide a lamp with morethan one filament, each filament being arranged to operate inconjunction with the same or different light projecting apertures forselectively projecting an indicating image of one of the apertures uponone of the scales of the dial member.

A further example of a replaceable hood of the above character is shownat 33 in Fig. 4. This hood is of the same general form as the hood 18and has the surface 19 for the light projecting opening 20 reduced inwidth to permit sloping the side walls of the hood. The base of the hoodis maintained in the same rectangular form to fit within the base'member 21. Light projecting louvered openings 34 may then be providedon one or both sides of the hood in the sloping side walls, to cast adifiused light on the scale on one or both sides of the indicationprovided by the light projected through the opening 20.

With an arrangement of this character the area 19 about the opening 20provides means for shielding the light in the region of the indicatingopening, while the scale receives indirect illumination through themedium of the louvered openings 34. The louvers should be arrangedsubstantially as indicated, so that the scale does not receive directillumination from the lamp.

It will be obvious that, in an indicating apparatus of the characterdescribed, a plurality of interchangeable hoods may be provided wherebythe dial member may indirectly be illuminated to a slight degreeon oneor both sides of the indicating image, and from a common source oflight. In certain installations a single louvered opening on either sideof the indicator surface 19 may be sufiicient to slightly illuminate thedial member, whereby, the scale or scales thereon may be read within aregion slightly above and below the indicating image, the indicatingimage standing out clearly in the darkened area provided by the surface19.

Although the invention has been shown and described in conjunction witha tuning control means of the lever arm type, it is obvious that it maybe applied to other forms of control means for radio apparatus and thelike, wherein a full vision translucent dial member is provided, theindicating means being arranged to direct light from the source onto thedial memher in a predetermined path.

In'the present preferred embodiment, the indicating lamp is enclosed ina hood or container having a surface provided with a light projectingindicating orifice, which surface is arranged to move in close spacedrelation to the dial member substantially as shown and described.

The walls of the hood, or shield, for the lamp provide rearwardlyextending means for deflecting the rays of the lamp away from the dialmember, while the indicating opening in the dial member, a movablecontrol element arranged to move along one surface of said dial member,a closed container mounted upon said movable control element to movetherewith and having a surface located in close spaced relation to saidsurface of .the dial member, means providing a light projecting aperturein said surface, and a lamp mounted in said container.

2. In indicating control means for radio apparatus, the combination of afixed translucent dial member, a movable control element arranged tomove along one surface of said dial member, a lamp carried by saidmovable control element, a base member and a detachable hood mountedthereon providing closure means for.

the lamp, and means providing a light projecting aperture in one of thewalls of said hood.

3. In indicating control means for a radio apparatus, the combination ofa fixed translucent dial member, a movable control element arranged tomove along .one surface of said dial member, a lamp carried by saidmovable control element, a base member and a detachable hood mountedthereon providing closure means for the lamp, means providing a lightprojecting aperture in one of the wallsof said hood, and means providinglouvered openings in other walls of said hood for the indirectillumination of the dial member from said lamp.

4. In radio apparatus, the combination with a movable control elementtherefor, of a translucent dial member, an indicating lamp, meansproviding a closed container for the lamp, said container being movablealong said scale and having a surface arranged to mov in close spacedrelation to a surface of the dial member, means providing a lightprojecting indicating aperture in said surface, and means forcontrolling the movement of said container alongsaid dial member inresponse to movement of said movable control element.

5. In radio apparatus, the combination with a movable control elementand a housing having a window therein, of a translucent dial memberproviding a closure means for said window,

means connected with said control element and movable therewith forprojecting an illuminated indicating image upon the dial member, saidmeans including a base member connected with said movable controlelement and movable there: with along said dial member, a lamp mountedon said base member, a movable hood surrounding said lamp and detachablysecured to said base member, said base member being located in aposition with respect to the dial member such that the one surface ofthe hood is located in close spaced relation to the dial member, andmeans providing a light projecting opening in saidsurface.

6.- In radio apparatus, the combination with a movable control elementtherefor, of a translucentdial member, an indicating lamp, meansproviding a hood for the lamp, said hood being movable along said scaleand having a. pair of oppositely disposed surfaces, means in each ofsaid surfaces providing a light projecting indicating aperture, a basemember forming a closure means for the hood in which said hood isdetachably mounted, said hood and the base member being provided withcooperating por tions whereby the hood may be detachably mounted thereinselectively with either the one or the other of said surfaces in closespaced relation to the dial member, and means for controlling themovement of said hood along the dial member in response to movement ofsaid movable control element.

7. In indicating control means for radio ap-,

paratus, the combination with a movable control element, of a fixedtransluctent dial member associated therewith, an indicating lampmounted upon said element to move therewith in close relation to onesurface of the dial member,

ed upon said-element to move therewith in close relation to one surfaceof the dial member, means including a base member and a second memberdetachably secured thereto providing an enclosure for the lamp, saidsecond named member being adapted to be mounted in the base member in aplurality of differing positions wherein each one of a plurality of itssurfaces may selectively be brought into close spaced relation to thedial member, and means providing light projecting apertures in each ofsaid surfaces.

9. In indicating control means for radio apparatus and the like, a dialmember through which light may be passed, a member movable relatively tosaid dial member along the rear face thereof, an illuminating elementcarried by said movable member and arranged to move therewith in closerelation to said rear face of the dial member, and a shield movable inunison with the element carrying member interposed between the dialmember and said illuminating element, said shield having an openingtherein adjacent to the dial member for defining anside raysof theilluminating element away fromthe dial member.

10. In a device of the character described, a dial scale through whichlight may be passed, a member movable relatively to said dial scale andcarrying an illuminating element arranged to direct a beam of light ontothe rear side of said scale, and a shield movable in unison with theelement-carrying member interposed between the scale and saidilluminating element and having an opening therein for defining a spotof light projectible onto said scale, said shield havingrearwardly-directed side wings for deflecting the side rays-of theilluminating element away from the dial scale.

11. Ina device of the character described, a dial scale through whichlight may be passed, a member movable relatively to said dial scale toassume different set positions, a lamp mounted on said member totraverse the rear side of the dial scale, and means for shielding allbut a small portion of the lamp to direct a spot of light against saidscale.

12. A dial mechanism having a scale mounted in a fixed position andconstructed for illumination through it from the rear side, a lampsupported at the rear side of the dial for movement relative to saiddial for illumination thereof, means associated with said lamp forconfining the illumination of the dial to an area of such relative sizethat it forms an indicating mark on the dial, and means operable to movethe lamp and the illumination confining means jointly relative to thescale.

FREDERICK L. CREAGER.

